Snow-plow



(No Model.) s'sneens--sheen 1. P. H. CRADDOCK.

SNOW PLOW- A 7TOHNE YS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. H. CRADDOGK.

SNOW PLOW.

No. 537,752. Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

Vme cams paens co.. moramn WASHINGTON. o c,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. H. CRADDOCK.

sNovvPLoW. No. 637,752. Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

fnl-7:5156( ,9,9 5,7 gg 37 .$9 J2 i Nrrnp STATES .ATRNT WEGE SNOW-PLOW.A

SPECIFICATION forming pari'. of Letters Patent No. 537,752, dated April16, 1895.

" Application filed December 13,1894.4 Serial No. 531,690. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern; i

Be it known that I, PATRICK HENRY CRAD- DOCK, of Leadville, in thecounty of Lake and State of Colorado, haveinvented a new and ImprovedSnow-Plow, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in snow plows, and especially toan improvement upon the snow plow for which Letters Patent were grantedto me November 22, 1892, No. 486,694, and the object of this presentinvention is to simplify the construction of the snow plow, and providea means whereby the tread and flange face of the rails will be cleanedfrom ice adhering thereto simultaneously with the removal of the snow,and whereby also the weight of the plow will be held from olf the track,thus permitting the engine to readily propel the plow forward orbackward.

rlhe invention consists in the novel construct-ion and combination ofthe several parte, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointedout in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar iigures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parte in all the views.

l Figure l is a side elevation of the engine, the cab being in section,illustrating the application of the engine to the improved plow. Fig. 2is a partial plan view of the plow, and a diagrammatic view of thevalves and levers by means of which the plow is raised or permitted todrop. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the plow. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section, taken practically on the line4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig.is a rear elevation of the plow. Fig. (l is a section taken on the line6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a strengthening stripadapted to be attached to the plow, and

likewise illustrates the Scrapers carried by the said strip; and Fig. 8is a section taken Substantially on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is aperspective view showing a portion of the strengthening strip with itsanges or ribs for supporting the cutter.

Before describing the plow proper I will describe the supports andguides therefor.

The support of theA plow consists of a base plate lO, best shown inFigs. 2 and 3, which `the said clearing board.

plate is skeleton in form and of triangular shape, the apex beingadapted vas the forward or outer side. The base plate is supported in ahorizontal position by two series of brackets a. and a. These bracketsare substantially of triangular shape, and the brackets a, which are thetwo outer ones, are shorter,

especially at their base, than the inner set of brackets ct. The upperportions of the vertical members of these brackets are bolted or lotherwise secured to the outerkor top side face the apex, while thesmaller brackets o, are l0- cated one near each rear side portion of thebase plate.

A check plate 17 is secured preferably to the vertical members oftheinner brackets a', and the said check plate extends forwardly at aninclination, being secured at its forward and lower edge upon the basemembers 15 of said brackets, and the check plates are provided with arecess 18 of angular shape, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The plow consists of a fender or clearing board A, the said clearingboard or fender being adapted to represent two sides of a triangle, andat the Vjunction of its sides a cutter 19 is formed. The cutter partakesof the cross sectional shape of the clearing board or fender, the latterbeing concaved upon its outer face and convexed upon its inner face. Atthe rear of the clearing board or fender, preferably at or near thebottom thereof, a transverse bar 2O is secured, the said bar being madeto connect the rear side portions of The brace bar 2O carries twobrushes 2l, which extend downward therefrom, and these brushes are soplaced that when the plow is in position upon the engine they willengage with the tread of the rail and likewise with the inner surface ofthe head to be engaged by the flange ofthe engine wheels; and in orderthat both of these IOO ' back.

surfaces may be perfectly cleaned, the brush is made of greater lengthat its inner than at its outer side, as is clearly shown in Fig. 5. Eachbrush is provided with a shank 22, which extends upward through thebrace bar 20, and through a bracket 23located upon the top of the saidbar, a spring 24 being coiled around the shank of each brush between thebar and bracket, thereby serving to hold the brush down against therail; and if in practice it is found desirable guides 25 may be locatedupon the rear of the base '10, to receive the lower portions of thebrush shanks, as shown in Fig. 5, the said guides being omitted in Fig.4.

The plow proper is held to slide on the supports or guides abovedescribed in the following manner: Upon the inclined member 16 of eachouter bracket a, a block 26 is held to slide, and these blocks, asshownbest in Fig. 4, each consist of a body portion b and a cap or frontplate b', the body portion being provided with a longitudinal slot whichreceives the said member 16 of the bracket; and a transverse slot, thelatter slot being made to receive a brace bar 27, the said brace barbeing carried from one side of the clearing board or fender to the otherat or near the Preferably, however, the blocks 26 comprise a body and afront and a back cap plate, in order that they may be the more readilyplaced uponthe brackets a, the recesses for the brackets and the bracebar 27 being both produced in the body. Two blocks 28 of the sameconstruction as the blocks 26 are mounted to slide upon the inclinedupper member 16 of the inner or larger brackets a', and through each setof the blocks 28 a brace bar is passed, the upper brace bar beingdesigvided with a lug 3l, projected from its back or under surface, andthese lugs are provided with threaded apertures to receive adjustingscrews 32, said screws having bearing against the base members of thelarger brackets d', as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, in order that the weightof the fender may be taken oi from the track, enabling the fender to beoperated readily by the engine. By means of these adjusting screws 32the fender may be made to approach more or less closely to the track, asoccasion may demand. Upon the back of each block 28 of the upper set alug 33 is formed, and upon each lug the lower end of a connecting bar 34is pivoted, the said ybars being carried upward and outward throughopenings 35 made in the top portion of the central brackets a', as shownin Figs. 3 and 4. Each connecting bar is surrounded by a spring 36,having bearing against the bracket and against ashoulder formed at thepivoted end of the bar. These springs are com pressed when the fender israised, and serve to re store the fender to its lower 'or normalposition when relieved from' control by the elevating mechanism.

The upper end of each connecting bar 34 is pivotally attached to a crankarm 37, secured upon a rock shaft 38, mounted to turn in suitablebearings upon the pilot board 13 of the engine. The rock shaft isprovided also with two crank arms 39. These crank arms extend rearwardlyfrom the shaft, and each is pivotally connected with-the piston rod 40of a cylinder 41, adapted to receive steam or compressed air; and byraising or lowering the piston heads in lthe said cylinders the plow israised or lowered upon its bracket supports or guides.

The lower outside surface of the fender or clearing board A has attachedthereto a metal strengthening strip or band 42,and each metal strip orbaud has secured upon its outer face a shoe 43, so placed that the saidshoe will engage with the surface ofthe rail to be engaged by the flangeof the engine wheel, serving as guides for the plow; and the said shoesfur ther serve as supports for Scrapers 44, the said Scrapers consistingof blades thatare adjusb ably secured upon the shoes, each blade beingprovided with a longitudinal slot 45, as shown in Fig. 8, and bolts 46are passed through the slots into the shoes, while at the upper portionof each blade a rearwardly inclined head 47 is formed, which is made toenter a slot 48 in the shoe, and an adjusting screw 49 engages with thehead of the blade, as is best shown in Fig. 7. By this means the bladesmay be raised or lowered in a convenient manner, and these blades areintended to clear the flange faces of the rails from ice or frozen snow,as shown in Fig. 8.

The strengthening strips or bands 42 at both sides of the shoes 43 areprovided with downwardly and forwardly extending ribs 50, havingoverhanging or flanged ripper ends provided with adjusting screws 49,a's clearly seen in Fig. 9, and upon each of these ribs a cutter orblade 51 is adjustably secured, the adjustment being accomplished insubstantially the same manner as the blades carried by the slices. Theauxiliary blades 51 serve to break up any crust or banks of frozen snowthat the plow may be called upon to pass through. The cutters are firstattached to the bands or strips 42, and then these strips are bolted orotherwise secured upon the fenders.

An arm 52, which may be called atrip arm, is pivotally attached to eachend of the pilot board 13, and these arms are of such length that theyextend outward beyond the rear ends of the fender, and their outerextremities are rearwardly curved. These arms are `of angular formation,being pivoted at the junction of their members, and the inner member isshort as compared to the outer or curved member. These arms are adaptedto strike posts 53 located at a switch, out of the path of the train, inorder that the post may trip one of the arms 52` and in a manner to beICO IIO

arm 52 is connected by a link 54 with a` key y 55 located on the valvestem of a stop cock 56, and each stop cock 56'is connected at what maybe termed its inner face by a' tube 57 with a pipe 58 that is to supplysteam or compressed air to the cylinders 4l heretofore described, thevalves being locatedpreferably near the said cylinders, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3. The pipes 58 lead into the cab of the engine and each ofthem is provided with a valve 59 conveniently reached by the operalor.These valves, whenthe plow isin working position, are kept closed. Itwill be understood that the pipes 58, which may be termed feed pipes,are connectedwith the air reservoirs of the train, or with the boiler ofthe engine.

A supply pipe 60 is connected with each stop cock 56 at the rear facethereof, and these supply pipes are carried likewise withinthe cab andare connected with the feed pipes 5S between their source of supply and'their valves 59. Each supply pipe is provided with a valve 6l, alsolocated within the engine cab, and these valves are normally left open.Each trip arm 52 is pivotally connected between its pivot and outer endto the forward extremity of arod 62. These rods are carried to the cabof the engine and are connected bya cross bar 63, upon which a handlever 64 is secured, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and one, or both, of therods 62 is provided with a pin 65, adapted to act upon the strikingmechanism 66 of a gong 67.

In the operation of lthe plow, in the event it shouldreach a switchwithout the engineer or operator having observed the fact, the plow willbe automatically raised, since one of the trip arms will have engagedwith a post 53, and both arms will then be thrown inward to the dottedposition shown in Fig. 3, byreason of the rods 62 connecting them,andthe lever 64 connected with the connecting rods, will be thrown to anouter position. As the shifting arms move inward the links 54 willopenthe three-way cocks 56, and the steam or conlpressed air will then enterthe supply pipe 60y mechanism 66 of the gong 67 and gave an` alarm.After the switch is passed the engineer by closing the valves 6l in thesupply pipes will take off the pressure from the piston heads of thecylinders, and the springs 36 in the plow will act, together with theweight of the plow itself, to cause the plow to drop to its workingposition. The trip arms are then `in-its lower and working position.

placed in their normalposition and the three- -way cocks 56 closed byshifting the lever 64 inward. When the plow is raised by the ening thevalves 59 in the feed pipes, and the supply of steam or air will bedirected to the cylinders.

The plow is prevented from rising to too great an extent by means of anarm 68, which 'is projected rearwardly from the rearward brace bar 27,the said arm extending within therecess 18 of the check plate 17; andwhen the plow has been raised to such a height that the-arm 68 strikesthe top wall of the said recess the plow can be raised no farther.

u gineer from the cab, it is done by simply openlaterally andvertically, vertically upon the brackets a and a and laterally upon theconnecting or brace bars 27, 29 and 30. Therefore, the plow can ofitself clear smallobstructions which may be in its track, and willadjust itself to the contour of curves whereever they may occur in theroad.

In further explanation of the operation of the plow, let it be supposedthat the plow is The three three-way cocks inthe cab are placed on thelap; that is to say, all their ports are closed;

also thestop cocks 56 to which the trip .arms are connected are closed.The pipes are charged with air or steam up to the'stop cocks l56. Whenthe arm is tripped bystriking the close the stop cock 56 and take thethree-way cocks off from the lap and let the air or steam exhaustthrough them, and when exhausted these three-way cocks are then setagain as before. 1f the engineer desires to raise the plow from the cab,he will open the three-way cock.

This `will let air or steam into the cylinders and raise the plow. Nowin this event the three-way cocks only are opened, the stop cock notbeing opened as the trip arm did not come in contact with the post. Inthe event the engineer desires to lower the plow, the parts being inthis position, he will close the threeway cocks, and when the air isexhausted from the cylinders he will set it again on the lap. It willVbe observed, under this construction, all that is necessary in the wayof valves is two valves or cocks and one three-way cock in the cab, anda stop cock connected to the trip arm. Only one set of pipes on eachside -`of the engine is needed, and only one arm on the side that thepipes would be. The pipes will be connected over the pilot platform withthe cylinder on the opposite side, and by so doing we would only needone set of pipes and one trip arm, but there must be a post 53 on eachside of the track at the switches `and crossings.

The arm 68 in addition to limiting the up- IOO Iro

by the fender or clearing board may be main-v tained off the track, anda guide provided with a cutter located at each side of the clearingboard, adapted as a guide therefor and for removing ice from the rail,as and for Vthe purpose specified.

2. In a snow or like plow, the combination,

with a frame adapted for attachment to anengine or a car, of a fender orclearing` board having sliding movement upon the said frame, trip leverspivoted upon the frame and extending outward beyond the sides of theclearing board or fender, and steam or pneumatically controlled liftingmechanism connected with the clearing board or fender, valvescontrolling the admission of air or steam to the feed pipes of the saidlifting mechanism, and a connect-ion between the said levers and valves,whereby when the levers are moved in one direction the valves will beopened and the lifting mechanism automatically set in operation, as andfor the purpose specified.

3. In a snow or like plow, the combination,

with a frame and a clearing board or fender having sliding movement uponthe said frame, of a rock shaft connected with the frame, cylindersconnected with the rock shaft whereby the said shaft is operated, valvedfeed pipes for air or steam connected with the said cylinders, leversfulcrumed upon the frame and extending beyond the clearing board orfender, adapted for engagement with a fixed object upon the track, alink connection between the said levers and the valves in the feed pipescontrolling the feed to the cylinders, whereby the said Vvalves areopened when the levers are moved in one direction, as and for thepurpose specified.

4. In a snow or like plow, the combination, with a frame and aclearingboard or fender having sliding movement upon the said frame, of a rockshaft connected with the frame, cylinders connected with the rock shaftwhereby the said shaft is operated, valved feed pipes for air or steamconnected with the said cylincontrolling the feed to the cylinders,whereby the said valves are opened when the levers are moved in onedirection, rods connecting the levers and operated from the cab of theengine, and guides carried by the clearing board or fender, adapted forengagement with the inner faces of the rails of the track, substantiallyas shown and described.

5. The combination, with a snow plow consisting of a frame and aclearing board or fender adjustable upon the frame, of arms projectedfrom the frame'beyond the fender and adapted to be engaged by a fixedobject independent of the plow, a lifting mechanism for the fender, andan operative connection between the levers and lifting mechanism, as andfor the purpose specified.

6. In a snow plow or the like, the combination of a frame adapted forattachment to an engine, or the like, a brace extending downward andforward from the frame, a block movable along said brace, and a fenderhaving an integral brace bar extending transversely across it andsecured at its opposite ends to opposite sides of the fender, said bracebar being adapted to slide in said block, said block being independentof both the fender and the frame and being adaptedto be secured toeither the brace on the frame or the brace bar on the fender,substantially as shown and described.

7. In a snow-plow or the like, the combination of a frame adapted forattachment to an engine or the like, a fender or clearing-board mountedon the frame, and a trip mechanism adapted to be actuated by contactwith an obstruction located beside the track, said mechanism beingconnected to the fender and adapted to lift the same above the track,sub` stantially as set forth.

8. In a snow-plow or the like, the combination of a frame adapted forattachment to an engine or the like, a fender or clearing boardmountedon the track and provided with cutters adapted to engage thetrack-rails, and a trip-device adapted to be actuated by contact with anobstruction located beside the track, said trip-device being connectedto the fender and adapted to lift the sanne above the track,substantially as set forth.

9. In a snow-plow or the like, the combination of a fender orclearing-board, a perforated cutter holder thereon, having a perforatedflanged upper end, a slotted cutter located on the holder, a boltextending through the slot in the cutter and the perforation in thecutter-holder, and a screw extending through the perforation in theflange of the holder and bearing on the end of the cutter, substantiallyas set' forth.

l0. In a snow plow or the like, the combination of a fender orclearing-board having inclined cutter holders, and cutters mounted insaid holders and extending at an angle to the sides of the rails,substantially as set forth.

ll. In a snow-plow, or the like, the combination, of a frame having abrace-bar, a fender having a brace-bar extending at right angles to thebrace-bar on the frame, and a block comprising two sections adapted tobe bolted together and provided with guideways ex- IOO IIO

tending at right angles to each other and from its outer side, andcutters adjustably adapted to receive the respective brace-bars held onsaid ribs, substantially as set forth.

on the fender and frame, substantially as set 14. In a snow-pl0w or thelike, the comlbina- I5 forth.` tion of a fender or clearing board, astrength- 5 l2. In a snow-plow or the like, the combina.- ening stripsecured along the outer face there-` tion of a fender or clearing-board,a strengthof and provided with integral projecting ribs ening stripthereon,havingcutter-holders, and and cutters, adjustably mounted onsaid ribs, detachable cutters on said cutter holders,sub l substantiallyas set forth. stantially as set forth. PATRICK HENRY CRADDOGK.

to 13. In a snow-plow orthe like, the combina- Witnesses:

tion of a fender or clearing-board, astrength- SILAS G. CANFIELD, eningstrip thereon having ribs projecting T. P` CAMPBELL.

